What Merida Capital Holdings does

Merida Capital Holdings is a New York-based private equity firm founded in 2016 by Mitch Baruchowitz and Kevin Gibbs, focused exclusively on the cannabis ecosystem. The firm manages $200 million across five funds and co-investments, deploying growth capital into companies that have transitioned from start-up to revenue-generating operations. Its investment thesis is organized around four verticals — cannabis as an agricultural product, a natural plant-based medicine, a constituent in pharmaceutical formulations, and a recreational consumer product — spanning medical and adult-use markets. As of the disclosed period, the firm has invested in over 50 portfolio companies, including Cresco Labs, Green Thumb Industries, Leafly, Lowell Farms, 3Fifteen Cannabis, Cellibre, and Simplifya.

The firm operates with 17 professionals across North America, supported by senior staff with backgrounds at Goldman Sachs, Deutsche Bank, MarketAxess, Hudson Advisors (Lone Star Funds), and EnCap Investments. Leadership includes the founder as Managing Partner and Investment Committee Chair, a Head of Investments (CFA/CPA, formerly Deutsche Bank), a General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer, and a CFO. Merida generates revenue through traditional private equity mechanics — management fees on committed capital and carried interest on portfolio exits — while investor servicing is delivered through a Dynamo Software-based investor portal. Distribution is direct: the firm sources deals through outreach to cannabis operators and deploys capital into portfolio companies rather than through intermediated channels.

Merida's competitive positioning rests on concentrated domain expertise (cannabis-only since inception), regulatory fluency in limited licensing and multi-state cultivation, and a network anchored by early-stage investments in Theraplant and Leafline Labs. Strategic activity has included geographic expansion into Canada and Costa Rica (the latter via a 2022 joint venture with Azucarera El Viejo for medical cannabis cultivation), a 2021 SPAC-led public exit for portfolio company Leafly, and participation in a $78 million financing backing Skymint's acquisition of 3Fifteen Cannabis. The firm has been recognized with the Emjays International Cannabis Awards "Investment Firm of the Year" (2023), Politics NY "Cannabis Industry Power Player" (2023 and 2024), and Global Cannabis Times GCT100 (2023).

Name

Merida Capital Holdings

Legal name

Merida Capital Holdings LLC

Website

https://meridacap.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Merida Capital Holdings is a New York-based private equity firm founded in 2016 that manages $200 million across five funds, investing growth capital in 50+ revenue-generating cannabis companies across cultivation, plant-based medicine, pharmaceuticals, and adult-use verticals in North America.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cannabis Private Equity Fund Management

NAICS

Funds, Trusts, and Other Financial Vehicles (525), Management of Companies and Enterprises (551)

SIC

Security Brokers, Dealers & Flotation Companies (6211)

akta.pro primary industry

Biodiversity, Conservation & Natural Capital Funds (FSANAJAG)

Keywords

• Cannabis private equity
• Venture capital investing
• Growth capital funds
• Cannabis investment firm
• Fund management services

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Private Equity Fund Management: Manages five funds and co-investments with over $200 million in assets under management. Generates returns through capital appreciation and exit events in portfolio companies.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Merida Capital Holdings is a private equity firm that manages five funds and co-investments totaling over $200 million in assets under management, targeting fundamental growth drivers in the cannabis industry. The firm invests in companies that have transitioned from start-up to revenue-generating growth, across cultivation technologies, plant-based medicine, pharmaceutical formulations, and adult-use cannabis consumer products.

Product overview

Merida Capital Holdings operates as a private equity firm with a unified investment platform focused on the cannabis ecosystem. The firm does not offer distinct product modules but rather provides fund management and co-investment services through its five funds. The MeridaInvestorPortal serves as the client-facing access point for investors. The investment thesis targets four verticals: cannabis as an agricultural product, natural plant-based medicine, pharmaceutical formulations, and adult-use consumer products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Merida Capital Holdings Investment Platform Private equity investment platform that deploys capital from five funds and co-investments (over $200 million AUM) into revenue-generating cannabis companies across the US and globally. Targets cannabis as agricultural product, natural plant-based medicine, pharmaceutical formulation, and adult-use consumer verticals.
• MeridaInvestorPortal Investor portal providing existing limited partners and investors access to their fund accounts, portfolio information, and reporting for Merida's cannabis-focused private equity funds.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 50 portfolio companies across cannabis ecosystem

Named customers14 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Azucarera El ViejocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 September 2022Merida Capital Holdings partnered with Azucarera El Viejo for world-class medical cannabis facility in Costa Rica. The sugar company is a major Costa Rican agricultural company exploring cannabis cultivation.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Phyto Partners: Cannabis-focused venture and growth investor backing operators and ancillary technology. Comparable to Merida in sector specialization and growth-stage focus.
• Poseidon Asset Management: One of the longest-tenured cannabis-focused hedge fund and private investment managers. Directly comparable to Merida as a sector-specialist allocator deploying capital across the cannabis value chain.
• Viridian Capital Advisors: Cannabis-focused investment bank and fund manager that raises and deploys capital into cannabis companies. Comparable to Merida given its domain specialization in cannabis capital markets and equity offerings.
• JW Asset Management: Cannabis-focused alternative investment manager running hedge fund and PE-style vehicles. Closely comparable to Merida in mandate, sector focus, and LP base.
• Artemis Capital Partners: Cannabis-focused PE firm investing across cultivation, retail, and brands. Directly comparable to Merida's growth-capital mandate within the cannabis ecosystem.
• The Arcview Group: Cannabis investment and deal-making platform connecting operators with capital. Comparable as a cannabis capital-formation intermediary targeting similar growth-stage companies.
• Altitude Capital: Cannabis-dedicated private equity and credit manager targeting growth and early-stage operators. Highly comparable to Merida in deal type and sector concentration.
• TPCO Holding Corp (fka Subversive Capital Acquisition Corp): Cannabis-themed SPAC sponsor and operator with investment arm. Directly comparable to Merida given its use of SPAC structures (e.g., Merida Merger Corp I / Leafly) for cannabis exits and going-public transactions.

Broad incumbents

• Silver Spike Capital: Cannabis-focused credit and equity manager with public SPAC and private funds. Comparable as a cannabis-specialist capital provider, though oriented toward credit and structured capital rather than Merida's growth-equity approach.
• Chicago Atlantic Capital Partners: Cannabis credit and private equity manager deploying both debt and equity across MSOs and operators. Comparable as a sector specialist, though with a credit-heavy orientation rather than Merida's growth-equity focus.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/merida-capital-holdings
• Xx.com/MeridaCap

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments44 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Merida Capital Holdings